Machine for casting metals



C. E. WEST.

MACHINE FOR CASTING METALS.`

APPLICATION FILED FEB-2811MB.

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vPatented May 3, 1921P 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

.0. E. WEST.

' MACHINE FOR CASTING METALS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 28.1918.

Patented May 3, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3 v4/bym? CE. WEST av' /MSM /1 TraH/YE'Y CHARLES EDWARD WEST, 0F HGHAM HILL, WALTI-IAMSTW, ENGLAND.

MACHN-E EUR CASTING METALS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 3, 1921.

VAlgiplicaton filed February 28, 1918. Serial No. 219,720.

ments vin Machines for Casting Metals, of,

which the following is a specification such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertainsto make and use the same. y

llhis invention relates to die casting ma chines of the kind in whichcoacting dies or molds are Acapable of movement to and from a container positioned beneath them,

and from which molten metal can be forced into the dies which are positioned one above the other and in which the molten metal is forced upwardly by a plunger, through an openingin the lower die.

i The invention consists in a construction in which coacting top and bottom dies are slidablyfmounted in a frame, so that they can be raised vertically therein in two stages; that is to say,` the dies are first raised together, and then the top die further raised lindependently so as to separate it from the bottom die; while the plunger for forcing thermolten metal into the dies is arranged so that it has an axial as well as a sliding movement in its cylinder.

" fterthe dies are filled they are raised `together by means of a balance lever or levers or the equivalent, and are then separated by means of a screw shaft which lifts the top 'from the bottom die. The lower end of such screw shaft carries a boss or ,collar and also the sprue cutter which extends through the top die.

When the dies are raised together, both slide over the sprue cutter, which remains stationary, and thus ejects the sprue or frozen metal from the bottom die, the screw shaft., being then operated to separate the top from the bottom die.

The boss er collar on the screw shaft is arranged in conjunction with an adjustable stop on the top die to allow of lost motion between such parts, and permit the use of dies of different depths. Such stop is adjusted so thatthe sprue cutter is withdrawn from the bottom die beforethe top .die isseparated, the latter operation being able die stop, and as the top die is so lifted the molded articles are pushed out therefrom by means of screws mounted on the machine frame.

in example of my invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which z- I lfigure l is a front elevation of the machine,

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the machine,

Fig. 3 is a cross section at about the line 3*-3 ofl Fig. l,

Fig.` a shows in plan a general arrangement of the base of the machine and,

F 1g. 5 is a detail View partly in section and drawn to a larger scale, illustrating the adjustable means employed for connectingthe top die and screw shaft.

rl'he machine illustrated comprises a table or base a supporting a gallows or frame b and having in it a metal container c heated by the gas and air burners cl. rllhe table also supports the bottom die e on whichthe top die 7 rests. lhr-iinetal container c in the base is furnished with a cylinder c to receive a plunger g operated by a lever it the stroke of which is controlled by the bar d. llhe plunger has a spiral groove g which, coacting with pins in the cylinder c, impartsa rotary movement to the plunger as 1t moves to and fro therein. The mol ten metal is drawn into the cylinder c from the metal container c, through the opening j upon the outstrolre of thev plunger and upon its instroke is forced out of the cylinder through the passage lo, and the open ing Z in the bottom of the lower die c.

The bottom die e is carried on a bottom die plate l, and the top die f on a top die plate 2, both die plates being furnished with lateral horn plates 4 which engage with and slide over the side members of the frame Z), when the dies are raised and lowered,while the bottom die c is preferably water cooledV by means of the pipe e which is furnished Vwith suitable flexible connections not shown.

A lever m is employedto lift the dies simultaneously and is connected to the bottom die for that purpose, the amount of the lift being controlled by the `adjustable screws m. ,The top die f is separated from the bottom die by means of a screw shaft V -r' which is mounted inthe frame Z, and carries a fly-wheel s at its upper end, while to facilitate lifting the dies the lever m is counter weighted and balance weights t are con neeted to the upper die f.

The top die plate 2 carries a bridge piece p which affords a free passage for the screw shaft r, but forms an abutment for a boss or collar g arranged on thelower end of such shaft together with the sprue cutter g, which latter extends through the upper die as shown. The free passage of the screw shaft through the bridge piece allows the top die f to be raised together with the bottom die by means of the lever m, while the screw shaft r and sprue cutter g remain stationary. Thus as the dies are lifted by the lever m, the lower end of the sprue cutter ejects the sprue from the bottom die, and while the dies are so raised the screw shaft 1^ is operated to withdraw the sprue cutter from the bottom die, and lift the top die therefrom. During the withdrawal of the sprue cutter the shaft r moves up independently of the top die, but as soon as the withdrawal is completed, the boss Q bears against the bridge piece p so that the top die is lifted by the further ascent of the screw shaft.

y A sleeve piece r is screwed into the head of the bridge piece p, see Fig. 5, and serves Vto regulate the upward travel of the sprue cutter g, so that the length of its travel can loe adjusted according to the depth of the vdies employed, and thus permit of the use of dies of different depths.

Adjustable screws m2 fixed to the frame, pass through openings in the top die plate and by contact with the plate f in the top die push out the casting as the top die is lifted, while a hand wheel or nut u on the screw shaft r serves to lock the dies together when lowered into position for casting.

Assuming the machine'to be at work and properly adjusted as to delivery of metal,

` lift of dies, etc., for the article required, the

procedureis substantially as follows. The diesare brought to their lowermost position and locked together by the hand wheel or nut u, the plunger g is withdrawn by lever h and the molten metal passes into the cylinder c through the aperture The plunger is then thrust inwardly and forces the metal out of the cylinder through the passage 7c and opening Z into the dies. The dies are unlocked by releasing the hand `wheel or nut u and then lifted by lever -m whilethe screw shaft r remains stationary, so that the sprue is removed by the lower end of the sprue cutter g as the dies ascend. The iy wheel sV is then turned to raise the screw shaft'r which rst withdraws the sprue cutter from the lower die, and then brings the boss or collar g against the lower end of the adjustable sleeve 1" in the bridge 0, thus lifting the top die which holds the casting. As the top die aseends with the screw shaft and sprue cutter, the plate f therein, comes in contact with the stops m2, and so pushes out the casting. After the casting is removed the fly wheel s is turned to again lower the top die, the dies being then brought down to their lowermost position and the process repeated.

lVhat I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A machine for casting metal comprising a pair of superposed dies each slidably mounted in a frame, means for lifting said dies together therein, screwing means for further lifting the top die in said frame and a sprue cutter carried on said screwing means and extending through said dies so as to remove the sprue as the same are lifted together, said frame also supporting a bath in which metal is heated and from which it is injected into the dies by means of a plunger fitted in a cylinder so as to rotate axially as it slides to and fro therein, and apertures connecting said cylinder to the metal bath and the dies respectively.

2. In a machine for casting metal articles the combination of a pair of superposed dies each slidably mounted in a frame, means for lifting said dies together, screwing means for further lifting the top die in said frame to separate the raised dies, a sprue cutter carried by said screwing means and extending through the dies so as to remain stationary as the same are lifted, and adj ustable meansfor regulating the withdrawal of the sprue cutter from the raised bottom die, according to the depth of the dies used.

3. l'n a machine for casting metal articles the combination with a vertical frame of a pair of superposed co-acting dies each slidably mounted t-herein, means for raising said dies simultaneously in said frame, a screw shaft and adjustable means connecting same to the top die whereby the latter is further raised in said vertical frame to separate the raised dies, means for ejecting the casting from the top die as the latter is separated Afrom the bottom die, a sprue cutter carried by said screw shaft and extending through the dies so as to remain stationary and eject the sprue as the dies are simultaneously lifted, said screw shaft withdrawing said sprue cutter when operated to separate the top die, and means on said screw shaft for locking and unlocking said superposed slidable dies when same are lowered in said vertical frame.

4. ln a machine for casting metal articles the combination with a vertical frame of a pair of superposed co-acting dies each slidably mounted therein, means in connection with the lower die for raising said dies simultaneously in said frame, a screw shaft connected to the top die by a bridge-piece carrying an adjustable sleeve which co-acts with a boss on said shaft to allow lost motion between the latter and said top die; the raised top and bottom dies being separated by further lifting said top die through said screw shaft, means on said Vertical frame for ejecting the casting from the top die as the latter is separated, a sprue cutter carried by said screw shaft and arranged to remain stationary and extend through the dies and eject the sprue .as said dies are simultaneously raised, said sprue cutter being withdrawn as the screw shaft is operated to separate the top die, and a nut on said screw shaft for locking and unlocking said superposed sliding dies when the same are lowered in said Vertical frame.

5. A die casting machine comprising a Vertical frame, a pair of superposed co-acting dies each slidably mounted in said frame, an inclosed container for molten metal positioned below said dies and adapted to form a rest therefor when same are lowered for casting, means for heating said container from which latter the molten metal is injected into said dies by a plunger fitted in a cylinder so as to rotate axially as it slides to and fro therein, apertures and passages connecting said cylinder to said container and dies respectively; means connected to the lower die for raising said dies simultaneously in said Vertical frame, a screw shaft adjustably connected to the top die, for further lifting the latter7 so as to separate the raised dies in said vertical frame, means for ejecting the casting from the top die as the latter is separated from the bottomvdie, a sprue cutter carried by said screw shaft so as to remain stationary and lextend through the dies and eject the sprue as said dies are simultaneously raised, said sprue cutter being withdrawn by said screw shaft when same is operating to separate the top die, said die raising and separating means also serving to return said dies separately to the casting position, and a nut on said screw shaft for locking and unlocking said dies, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES EDWARD WEST.

Witnesses WILLIAM CONLEN, H. S. BURSLEY. 

